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What it is: He cries, fusses, and drags his heels (maybe literally!) on the way to the bedroom, then once he's in bed, comes up with a million requests and demands. Anything to avoid going to sleep.

Why it happens: A toddler's day is full of exciting opportunities — so who wants to miss something by sleeping? To complicate matters, fear of the dark and being alone pop up now, so it's no wonder junior resists going to bed!

What you need to know: This is a battle worth fighting, Mom. Kids who don't get the sleep their growing bodies and minds require are often more cranky and easily frustrated than their well-rested peers.

What to do about it:

Stick to a regular wake-up and bedtime schedule. This will condition your toddler to become tired at about the same time every day.

Make sleep time something to look forward to by creating relaxing routines around it (e.g., read quiet stories, sing a lullaby, share lots of cuddles).

Make sure your child doesn't become engrossed in an active or time-consuming project too close to bedtime (this isn't the time for that jumbo jigsaw).

As long as your child stays in bed, don't insist he go to sleep immediately. Let him enjoy some mellow tunes or look at books by himself. If he takes an hour or more to fall asleep every night, he might be hitting the sack too soon. Gradually (over the course of a couple of weeks) push back his bedtime by about half an hour.

Send him to dreamland with a lovey. Some kids want their blankie, others prefer teddy, and some like a little touch of Mom (e.g, a T-shirt you wore that day). But don't become a human lovey by hanging with him until he falls asleep. That's a tough habit to break!

Don't use bedroom banishment as a punishment. The last thing you want is your child to associate being alone in his room with something bad.

Be boring. Finish your sleep-time rituals, tuck him in, then bore the heck out of him. Don't ignore real requests (for a nightlight or another trip to the potty, for example), but respond quickly and without emotion. Answer all questions from the doorway and discourage long conversations by saying something like, "Okay, time to sleep, see you in the morning." Then beat a hasty retreat.

Prepare for procrastination ploys. He'll have a tougher time coming up with last-minute requests if you anticipate his needs; i.e., close the closet door and have his cup of water waiting on the nightstand.

Don't give in. He may become weepy when you leave, but resist the urge to rush back in. Wait about five to ten minutes before returning, then reassure him with a few sweet words and a pat on the back, and leave again. More crying? Repeat the process until he falls asleep (he will, eventually…really).

Give sleep rewards. Start a sticker chart and award a gold star for every fuss-free bedtime. Reward him when he earns five stars, then start again and go for ten.

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